Recognizing William Gaston Caperton III, the thirty-first Governor
of West Virginia, for his service and contributions to the
youth of West Virginia.

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III was born February 21,
1940, in Charleston, West Virginia; and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III graduated from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and then returned to
Charleston to manage his family owned insurance firm; and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III later became the
principal owner of the insurance firm, turning it into one of the
largest privately owned insurance brokerage firms in the country;
and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III was elected the thirty-first Governor of West Virginia in November 1988, and served as
Governor of West Virginia from 1989 through 1997; and

Whereas, During his service as Governor, William Gaston
Caperton III distinguished himself as a model of fiscal
responsibility and an innovator of education reform, resulting in
his being named the Chair of the Democratic Governors Association;
and

Whereas, During his term as Governor, William Gaston Caperton
III was instrumental in championing causes and programs of the
Ohio-West Virginia Youth Leadership Association; and

Whereas, These achievements include continued and increased
funding of the Governor’s Youth Opportunity Camp at Camp Horseshoe
for low-income 7 to 12 year-old West Virginia boys and girls,
enabling at-risk children to turn their lives to achievement in
school, career, healthier living and citizenship; and

Whereas, As Governor, William Gaston Caperton III was
instrumental in obtaining a grant from the Appalachian Regional
Commission to extend youth leadership programming into more West
Virginia schools and communities; and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III led the creation of the
Institute for IDEAS at Camp Horshoe as a residential alternative
school for talented West Virginia eighth and ninth graders who were
failing in school and often life, motivating and preparing more
than eighty-five percent of the students to return home to succeed
in school and life; and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III was an integral partner
in the Youth in Government Model Legislature program, which
provides students with live hands-on experience in the workings of
state government; and

Whereas, After completing two terms as Governor, William
Gaston Caperton III taught at Harvard University, and was a founder
of the Institute on Education and Government at Columbia
University; and

Whereas, In 1999, William Gaston Caperton III became President
of the College Board, which administers the SAT and AP tests; and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III left the College Board in
2012 in order to return to Charleston; and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III’s contributions to the
youth of West Virginia have been known to generations and will be
felt by generations to follow; and

Whereas, William Gaston Caperton III’s accomplishments are
being recognized on April 5, 2013, as the tenth recipient of the
Lewis N. McManus Spirit of the Mountains Award, an impressive
designation previously received by Jessica Lynch, Cecil Underwood,
John D. Rockefeller IV, Bill Raney, Gayle Manchin and James H.
“Buck” Harless, among others; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby recognizes William Gaston Caperton III,
the thirty-first Governor of West Virginia, for his service and
contributions to the youth of West Virginia; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Senate expresses its
congratulations to William Gaston Caperton III for being selected
as the tenth recipient of the Lewis N. McManus Spirit of the
Mountains Award; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward
a copy of this resolution to William Gaston Caperton III and the
Youth Leadership Association.